12 June 2017

UH Bristol supports action in Bristol and South Gloucestershire for National Clean Air Day

Organisations and businesses across the Bristol area are coming
together to mark the UK's first National Clean Air Day (Thursday 15
June) by urging drivers to switch off their vehicle engines to
reduce exhaust emissions in the city.

The city's two large hospital Trusts, University Hospital
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and North Bristol NHS Trust are
joining forces with Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire
Council to call on drivers to help make a difference to air quality
by making a small change to their driving habits and potentially
cut harmful emissions.

Council employees will join the day of action by considering
alternative ways of getting around the city such as car sharing,
cycling or walking, and focusing on switching off when idling in
traffic queues, when picking up people or making deliveries. Other
locations to turn your engine off include pedestrian crossings, at
red lights, bus stops and taxi ranks. Whether it's older cars that
don't cut out automatically or newer ones where people sometimes
over-ride the automatic cut out, all drivers can make a difference
to air quality.

Meanwhile, the hospitals are encouraging visitors, patients,
buses and ambulances visiting their sites to switch off their
engines when dropping off.

Simon Wood, Director of Facilities at North Bristol NHS Trust,
said:

"As a healthcare provider and a large employer in the city it is
important for us to do our bit to help reduce the impact of air
pollution on our patients, visitors and staff as well as the
environment. We will be encouraging people visiting us, and bus and
taxi drivers, to switch off their engines when they are waiting
outside the hospital and urge you to consider this if you are
coming onto our sites."

"We are very aware of the impact delivering our services have on
the environment and are committed to reducing that impact. Across
the UK one in 20 vehicles on the road are on NHS-related business,
whether that's staff, patients or visitors.

"Air pollution is particularly bad in central Bristol, so we
want to encourage everyone coming to our hospitals to help reduce
the health implications of air pollution on our patients and the
wider community."

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said:

"Hospitals and councils are at the heart of our communities so
we know they can make a big difference with small changes to
vehicle movements and we hope the public will be encouraged to join
us on the first UK National Clean Air Day. It is a small action but
together we make a bigger combined impact. Please go to the website
to see how you can help on the day: www.cleanairday.org.uk.

"The damaging impact of air pollution, particularly on our
health, remains one of our city's biggest challenges. We know that
child hospital admissions for asthma are rising, especially in some
inner city areas of Bristol, which are areas of high deprivation. I
am determined that every child gets the best possible start in life
and a cleaner, more accessible transport network, which will help
connect people to jobs, will help.

"We are driving change thanks to cross-party support on this
issue and we are preparing to launch a feasibility study for a
Clean Air Zone in the Bristol area. It will help design the most
effective measures to reduce harmful emissions. This is about
working together with road users and businesses to find solutions
that benefit us all."

Bristol is working with South Gloucestershire Council on a
feasibility study which will determine the extent to which
pollution needs to be reduced to meet acceptable health standards.
It will also look into the possibility of a Clean Air Zone,
including the geographical extent of the area, size and location,
timescales for developing it, whether and how charging arrangements
could be introduced, what vehicles should be included and the wider
socio-economic impacts. It could be completed in early 2018. The
timing of when any Clean Air Zone might be introduced will be
determined by the study and will depend on feedback from a
consultation process.

Bristol City Council has over 400 employees driving fleet vehicles
regularly, added to hospital vehicles from both NHS Trusts and
potentially thousands of drivers who visit them. In addition, all
organisations involved are asking their staff to consider doing the
same in their own personal vehicles.

Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, Councillor Matthew
Riddle, said: "Air pollution is a risk to public health. It is
known to have more severe effects on vulnerable groups, for example
the elderly, children and people already suffering from respiratory
and cardiovascular conditions. There are decisions we can all make
to reduce air pollution. Even relatively small changes such as
turning off your engine in traffic queues, or when parked, all add
up and make a difference to the quality of the air we all
breathe."

The University of the West of England is working with Bristol City
Council on a four-year research initiative called ClairCity (www.claircity.eu), which will
also mark National Clean Air Day through events at community
centres and for the Festival of Nature to gather people's views.
The project, which is funded by the European Union, is capturing
the views of local people on air pollution. It involves thousands
of other people in cities across Europe with the end goal of
deciding the best local options for a future with clean air and
lower carbon emissions.

Meanwhile, the council is also working with the NHS and British
Lung Foundation to encourage people to look after their lungs on
Clean Air Day.

Justin Parsons from the British Lung Foundation says "We're
supporting National Clean Air Day because we know how damaging
pollution can be to people's lung health. Toxic air, left
unchecked, will lead to a rising tide of ill health for everyone,
particularly those who are most vulnerable. Children, people with a
lung condition and the elderly will be hit hardest. The next
government must deliver ambitious plans to clean up the air we
breathe. There must be a commitment to tough action on emissions
from diesel vehicles. Along with a realistic scrappage scheme that
enables people to trade in their old cars for cleaner alternatives.
We're calling for a new, fair and ambitious Clean Air Act."

There's more information on the British Lung Foundation
website, www.blf.org.uk or people can
telephone the British Lung Foundation helpline on 03000 030 555 to
talk to someone.

Dr Jonathan Evans (Bristol, South Glos and North Somerset Clinical
lead for Respiratory Care) added: "If someone has had a cough or
has found it hard to breathe for three weeks or more and they don't
know why, they should make an appointment with their practice to
find out if they have a respiratory condition."